So. this episode introduced the guy named “Tiia”, and yet strangely I found myself interested in just about every part of this episode except for him. That’s really meant as a praise, though, because this show is getting better here: the characters are moving away from their stereotypes, there is a ton of change in them, and the overall plot is also getting more and more interesting with every episode. But if the creators want to use such a stereotypical villain like Tiia, they really need to make him into much more of a character than what he showed here.

Of course, I love that Claugh ended up losing his arm: that was just the development he needed. But having him lose that arm by for example wrestling with an angry bear would not really have been that different. That Tiia guy is too much of the “muaha, look at me, I’m evil!”-type of villains. Writing a good villain is difficult, because they often have much less aitrime than the good guys and they’re so easily overdone, and Tiia is currently standing with one leg in that trap.

But really, I loved that the creators ended up splitting the main couple away. Ryner really did get a good scare from Ferris’ brother in the last episode, and you could really see that in this episode. On top of that, Milk really did get kidnapped for a reason, and it’s great to see that for once Miran is meeting his match. Those are some twists I definitely didn’t see coming.Rating: ** (Excellent)

7 Responses

Tiia is not really a villain, tho his first appearance is a very typical villain. Put it this way, there’s no true villain in this story. But don’t worry, Tiia’s character should build up (slightly) after (spoiler start here)Ryner dumped Ferris and Sion then run away with him next week. He only serve as an intro to another character very late in the plot (which will never able to fit into this season) and explaining the “eyes” to Ryner(spoiler end here)
As for Claugh, it didn’t shown that well in the anime, his arm like a mass destruction weapon own by Roland which serve as a symbol of invincible. I really think the staff did a very bad job on Claugh’s character developement, he’s quite a major character in the novel (spoiler start here)showing mainly on Sion’s side of the story but without knowing the real Sion(&Lucile). Sion&Lucile part is my favorite part of the novel. (spoiler end here), but Claugh’s developement seem so weak in the anime, especially compared to Miran.
Also, I am very concern about how the staff will round up the story. There’s only very minor plot changes compare to the novel: (spoiler start here)
How Sion’s order get to Ryner, Miran and Luke’s fight, minor shuffle to order of events, some politic stuff with Claugh before heading to Tiia. (spoiler end here) I really don’t see what they are doing, unless they are making 2nd season. If they are meant to make an original ending for this series, it’s a bit late to start now.

I was really glad to see that the Milk squad aren’t just some comedic relief characters, with that white haired guy (was his name Luke?) being able to fight on par with Miran. I have been a fan of this series from the start, but I’m really falling in love with it now.

when I see Tiia in the op I like him and naw I LOVE him
KL thanks for the the spoiler I need to know tiia was looking for someone is he Ryner ??? and why ? how can they travel with each other tiia is killer and ryner someone who hate to hurt anyone ?? plz am going nuts 0____0

>Athesai
If the anime follows the original novel into the 2nd series, Milk is a pretty special character.

>Sera
Tiia don’t just kill peoples, he absorbs (“chew” in the novel) them and get energy. The energy concept got cut out from the anime, it suppose to at Arua’s arc with Ryner-sensei’s mini magic lesson: There’s invisible “light spirits” or “filaments” flows in the air, and peoples with magic training is able to arrangement the “light spirits” into special pattern and produce magic, but alpha stigma is able to see the “light spirit” so they can read and copy those pattern just by looking and able to produce new magic (Ryner loves to randomly produce new but crappy magic).

(spoiler ahead)
Tiia’s eyes (Īno Dwōe) has the ability to absorb those “light spirit” in the atmosphere, via magic and via human (human is also a form of energy/”light spirit”). But since Tiia and other Īno Dwōe never lives with human due to the nature of their eyes so they don’t have any moral. He also regard cursed eyes is more superior and human is only food.
As to why Tiia is looking for Ryner, Tiia is traveling around the southern continent to gather other cursed eyes and bring them back to the cursed eyes group located in the main continent. Ryner runs away with Tiia because he fears he will one day hurt/kill Ferris and Sion. He also wants to know what is his eyes (which is not typical alpha stigma) and everyone in the group have the same scar as Ryner, which awakes his sense of belonging.

I don’t really think Tiia is supposed to be a villain, given that the op and preview hints at Ryner joining up with him. He strikes me as a person who, instead of being immoral, is simply…amoral. He obviously doesn’t consider himself human, and views them the same way we view a piece of steak, for example. Plus, it’s his first episode – he might get some nice development later on, so don’t be too harsh on him yet.

>KL

Hahaha, I really want to see Ryner’s self-made magic in the anime. Didn’t he make one where the incantation is like “Uuuuuurghhhhhhhhhhhh whaaaaaaaaaaaaaa I want to sleep!” or something?

“So. this episode introduced the guy named “Tiia”, and yet strangely I found myself interested in just about every part of this episode except for him.”

No, what’s really strange is that people are finding him interesting. He’s got to be the most boring character (just based from what I’ve seen in the anime so far). Waste of screen real estate. I was bored out of my mind watching his scenes, and I usually like action scenes.

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Bam

(Wednesday, Mar 4. 2015 12:44 AM)

@Ebod: while it would definitely be ideal if a Japanese actress like Yukie Nakama or Keiko Kitagawa played the role of major Kusanagi, Hollywood practices make it very improbable. So the options left are either Asian actresses that are known in Hollywood such as Rinko Kikuchi, or American actresses of Asain decent like Natalie Mendoza or Grace Huang.

Ebod

(Tuesday, Mar 3. 2015 08:22 PM)

V for Vendetta for me has always been a more “literary” work than Watchmen, but Watchmen is spectacular because it’s a story that can only be told in full scope in the comic format. While I feel like many major themes and events from V for Vendetta could easily be adapted into, say, novel format, the same could not be said of Watchmen.
Also, the racist whitewashing Hollywood does of Asian characters really has to stop.

Bam

(Tuesday, Mar 3. 2015 06:30 AM)

Watchmen was deemed ‘unadaptable’ for about thirty years, so just getting what Snyder got out of the material is a huge success; it is said that what he did was to write a book version of Ingmar’s Holy Mountain. Watchmen is the only graphic novel to ever win a Hugo award and is easily the most intricate and multilayered Alan Moore comic, so it’s no surprise that it continues to top ‘best comics of all time’ charts to this day.

Bam

(Tuesday, Mar 3. 2015 06:20 AM)

I beg to differ. Doctor Manhatten is the most intriguing character of Watchmen and the comic is a giant in ,not only in the comic world, but the history of literature itself. It is a deconstruction of superheros and Dr. M shows how afraid the world would really be when faced with a ‘superman’ and how a creature in such a higher realm of time and perception would show apathy toward humans and their foolish struggles.

Bam

(Tuesday, Mar 3. 2015 06:15 AM)

GitS just won’t work. Maybe in a world before the Matrix, but not now with so many elements of it borrowed liberally by so many franchises in various mediums. Scarlet Johansson is decent in roles that fit her. She was enjoyable in Lost In Translation, but race aside she has nothing in common with Kusanagi. This is a travesty and the franchise is dear to me so it especially burns my ass.

Emma

(Tuesday, Mar 3. 2015 06:10 AM)

While I am no fan of man of steel, Nolan and Snyder, just about anyone would have a hard time taking a difficult character like superman and making him work on screen.

Emma

(Tuesday, Mar 3. 2015 06:08 AM)

Apart from Veidt and Rorshach I could never get into the characters all that much in watchmen. I also found the film overly long and mediocre acted for the larger part. But to each there own. For Alan moores works I always preferred his Miracleman, swamp thing, V for Vendetta stories.

Bam

(Tuesday, Mar 3. 2015 06:06 AM)

Nolan can produce the action plus personal and dark story that Alita would need, and he also brings talent such as composer Hans Zimmer and Cinematographer Sally Pfister to the table. Him and Snyder have too much combined integrity to make a mockery out of Alita like Spielberg did with the GitS license.

Bam

(Tuesday, Mar 3. 2015 06:03 AM)

Well Snyder has respect for his source materials and that is key in anime-to-film adaptations. Hell I’m a big Watchmen fan and I thought his version was (almost painfully) close to the comic. You’re not going to get that anywhere else in Hollywood. Also the combination of Nolan/Snyder is quite different than them individually.

Emma

(Tuesday, Mar 3. 2015 05:34 AM)

And directed it as a co-production with America, using a Japanese cast.
Yeah…this is impossible…

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